Healthy Homes for Kids and Pets
				Overweight and Obese Pets
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"And does Sparky get any dog biscuits or treats during the day?" I ask.  "Oh, he gets a biscuit every time he comes in from outside," Mrs. Smith replies.   "He runs right to the cabinet where we keep them and sits there until he gets one."  "And how many does he get in a day?" I question.  "Oh, probably about 7 or 8 a day," Sparky’s mom says. "And does he get any people food?" I ask.  "Well, the kids don’t like to have to put leftovers away, so we usually put what’s left from supper into his bowl.  Oh, and he just has to have a bowl of ice cream at night when we are watching TV.  In fact, he will sit by the refrigerator and bark if we forget to give it to him." "Wow Sparky, you’re eating like a king!" I say, as I pat him on the head.  His tail starts to thump the table loudly as he barks out in agreement. "Omigosh, I guess we really are overfeeding him," Mrs. Smith says, "I didn’t realize how much he actually eats in a day.  And I thought I was doing so good by only giving him one cup of dog food a day." Of course, this story is fictional but it is based on many things that pet owners say and do and it serves to illustrate common owner misconceptions about how much their pet eats in a day. Obesity in pets is one of the most common problems of dogs and cats.   Studies have shown that 1 out of 4 pets in this country are overweight or obese and unfortunately, most pet owners are unaware of the serious detrimental and life-shortening effects it has on their pet’s health. A pet is considered to be overweight if it is 10%-20% above its ideal weight and is considered obese if it is greater than 20% above ideal.  Consider a small dog or cat that should weigh 10 lbs.  It is obese if it weighs 12 lbs!!!   Only TWO pounds above its ideal weight!  A dog that should weigh 30 pounds but weighs 36 pounds is obese.  As you can see it doesn’t take much excess body fat for a pet to be considered obese, especially in smaller animals. Many of the detrimental effects of obesity in animals are similar to those in humans and include breathing difficulties, exercise intolerance, high blood pressure, increased risk of skin diseases, a decreased immune system and joint and disc problems. Excessive weight can worsen the progression of arthritis, making it even harder for the pet to get around. Cranial cruciate ligament rupture is a common injury in overweight large-breed dogs.  It occurs when the dog twists its leg the wrong way while running or jumping.  It is a very painful injury that requires expensive surgery to repair. Like humans, obese animals also have an increased risk of developing diabetes and heart disease due to a fatty infiltrate into the heart leading to congestive heart failure.  Studies have also shown that the incidence of cancer is 50% higher in overweight animals than in normal weight animals. Obese cats in particular are at risk of developing "hepatic lipidosis" a potentially fatal fatty infiltration of the liver that can occur when a cat stops eating for a few days because of some other illness or problem. Overweight animals are also considered to be higher risk patients during anesthetic and surgical procedures for several reasons.  Intra-abdominal fat can obscure the surgical field, making a simple procedure more difficult.   Overweight animals may require higher doses of anesthetic drugs and the metabolism of these drugs may be impaired because of reduced liver and kidney function.  Also, they may have reduced pulmonary (lung) function and they run a higher risk of surgical wound infection.   Overweight and obese animals are generally not as healthy as normal weight animals and tend to have shorter life spans.  A recent study followed a number of eight-year old cats.  Half of the cats were overweight and half were normal weight.  At the end of 4 years, 83% of the normal weight cats made it to their 12th birthday, while barely half of the overweight cats did. What causes pets to be overweight or obese?  Excessive body weight develops when calorie consumption is greater than calorie expenditure, resulting in a "positive" energy balance.  Simply put, the animal is eating too much for its individual needs. Owners overfeed for a variety of reasons.  Many owners interpret a good appetite as a sign of health and they get a good feeling from giving their pet food and snacks.  Some give too many treats out of a sense of guilt for leaving the pet alone during the day.  And many owners feed the same quantity of food regardless of the pet’s changing needs. Pets that live in multiple-person families may eat too much because each family member feels a need to give the pet a snack or treat.  Often times one owner will try to give the pet a sensible amount of food while another family member indulges the pet with all sorts of goodies. Although overfeeding is the primary cause of a pet becoming overweight, other factors beyond the owner’s control also play an important role.   Genetics, age, gender, activity level, and metabolic rate along with the type and the amount of food fed interact in determining the animal’s weight. As in humans, obesity can be a heritable trait.  Genetic factors can influence an animal’s metabolic rate.  This can help explain why certain breeds of dogs such as Labs, Cocker Spaniels, Dachshunds and Beagles as well as mix-breed cats have a tendency to become obese, while other breeds such as German Shepherds rarely do.  Gender also plays a role, as female dogs are more likely than males to become obese. The animal’s activity level and metabolic rate determine how efficiently an animal burns up the calories that it ingests.  Active animals and those with higher metabolic rates will burn up more calories.  Animals that don’t get much exercise or have slower metabolisms burn fewer calories and tend to gain weight. An animal’s activity level can be affected by how much the owner plays with and exercises the pet.  Animals owned by inactive or elderly owners tend to be less active and get less exercise.  Older animals and those suffering from degenerative joint disease also tend to be more sedentary and more prone to weight gain. The owner’s own lifestyle and eating habits play a role in their pet’s weight.   Studies have shown that animals owned by overweight persons are more likely to be overweight.  Reasons for this are thought to include the pet having a more sedentary lifestyle with inadequate exercise and frequent overfeeding of rich foods and table scraps by the owner. Spaying or neutering an animal has a profound effect on its metabolic rate due to alterations in testosterone and estrogen levels.  The loss of these hormones decreases the animal’s metabolic rate while causing an increase in its appetite.  This is why sterilized pets have a tendency to gain weight very easily.  This fact should NOT be used as an excuse to avoid spaying or neutering your pet.  The benefits gained from sterilization far outweigh any negative effects.  By feeding an appropriate amount of the proper food, weight gain in sterilized pets can be avoided. The types of food offered a pet plays a significant role in determining a pet’s weight.  Highly palatable foods such as gourmet pet foods and treats, home- cooked diets and table scraps tend to be calorie dense from their high fat and sugar content.  The pet readily accepts these foods and their palatable nature encourages excessive consumption by the animal. The method of feeding a pet also influences its weight.  Feeding "free choice", which is leaving a large bowl of food out for the pet to eat from throughout the day, is easiest for owners but also is more likely to result in an overweight pet.  While some animals will control their caloric intake when provided with an overabundance of food, most will end up consuming more calories than they need. By utilizing the "interval" or meal feeding method, an owner can provide their pet with a known quantity of food and easily control their pet’s caloric intake.  This method also allows for an owner to easily adjust the amount of food fed the pet as necessary. The first step in treatment of obesity is recognizing that the pet is overweight, and realizing that it can have serious, life-shortening effects on the pet’s health.  A "Body Condition Score" is a quick indicator of how overweight the pet is.  Owners can do this test at home and talk to their veterinarian about the results.  An online chart of the Body Condition Score is available at www.petfit.com. A BCS of 3 means that the animal is at an ideal weight.  The ribs can easily be felt with the fingertips but the ribcage cannot be easily seen.  From a side view the animal has an "abdominal tuck" and from an overhead view the animal has an "hour-glass" waist. A BCS of 4 indicates that the pet is overweight.  The ribs are difficult to feel and there is an obvious layer of fat beneath them.  The abdomen has lost its tuck and the pet doesn’t have much of a waist when viewed from above. A BCS of 5 indicates that the pet is clinically obese and at great risk of developing serious health problems.  The ribs cannot be felt and there is a thick layer of fat over the ribcage.  There is no abdominal tuck and the belly may hang down.  An overhead view shows a broadened back. The next step is obtaining an accurate diet history.  Owners need to provide their veterinarian with the types and amount of food that the pet is fed, including all people food, snacks, treats, biscuits, etc.  The reason for this is to determine approximately how many calories the pet has been consuming, so that an appropriate amount can be calculated. Some pets may need to have a blood test to rule out any underlying problems that could be causing their weight gain.  If the pet is exhibiting other signs such as lethargy, skin problems, a ravenous appetite or is drinking excessive amounts of water and urinating excessively, it should be tested for hypothyroidism or Cushing’s disease. The next step is to determine an "ideal" weight for the pet.  This number is just a starting point and may need to be adjusted later.  It should be based on a combination of breed standards and the individual pet’s stature.  Also, comparing the pet’s current weight to its weight at around 1 1/2 years of age can help in selecting the ideal weight. One of the most important aspects of a weight-reduction plan is selecting the appropriate food to feed.  Reducing the amount of regular (non-diet) food fed to pets that have a significant amount of weight to lose will not work and is not recommended.  The reason is that when the amount of regular food is reduced the animal does get less calories, but it also gets less protein, less amino acids, and less vitamins and minerals.  This results in the animal losing lean body mass (muscle) and a slowing of it’s metabolic rate. Many owners think they are doing well by choosing one of the numerous "less active" or "reduced calorie" foods that are available in pet stores or grocery stores.  Unfortunately, many of these premium and name brand foods still have too many calories to produce weight loss in a pet. Basically, a prescription diet-food available from your veterinarian is the best choice.  Foods such as Hill’s W/D [R]and R/D [R] are formulated to have reduced amount of calories but appropriate amounts of the other nutrients necessary to minimize the loss of muscle and prevent a slowing of the metabolic rate. Once the food is selected, an appropriate amount to feed must be calculated based on the pet’s "ideal" target weight.  It is best to split up this amount and feed the pet in two or three smaller meals.  This helps to prevent the pet from feeling hungry and pestering its owner for food.  And it also helps in weight loss because the pet burns up more calories digesting three meals than it does one. All members of the family must be committed to the diet program.  If someone feels sorry for the pet and gives it extra food or snacks the diet is doomed to fail.  Owners with more than one pet may find it difficult to feed different foods to pets.  One solution is to feed the pets in separate rooms.  It is also recommended that pets not be permitted in the kitchen when the family meal is being prepared or eaten.  This will help to prevent the pet from begging and minimize owners giving in to pleading eyes. Another equally important aspect of the diet is an appropriate exercise plan.   Walking, playing fetch and swimming are excellent activities for dogs.  Cat owners face a greater challenge in getting their pudgy kitty to move around.   Many cats love to stalk and chase a feather-on-a-wand type toy.  Or getting a new kitten often spurs older cats to be more active. Any exercise plan must start off slowly, especially for pets that have been inactive for a while.  Walks should be only a few minutes long and gradually built up to 20 or 30 minutes twice a day if possible. And lastly, the pet must be brought in for regular weigh-ins.  It is best to chart the progress of the diet every few weeks.  That way, adjustments to the amount or type of food being fed can be made as necessary.  Owners also find a renewed motivation when they see their efforts paying off.  It may take anywhere from eight to twelve months for the pet to reach its ideal weight.   Although this sounds like a long time, it is the healthiest way to accomplish weight loss in pets.
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